This Year's Celebration Will Honor the Achievements of 61 Seniors from 29 Municipalities
Westchester County Executive George Latimer is proud to announce that the achievements of 61 senior citizens from throughout the County will be honored at the 41st Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards Celebration. The celebration will take place on Friday, December 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Westchester Marriott, 670 White Plains Road in Tarrytown, NY. This year’s program will present Carol Beverly Allen of Hartsdale and Janice Lubin Kirschner of Somers with top honors, and will honor 61 seniors across 29 municipalities.
Latimer said: “I am honored to recognize this year’s group of seniors and induct them into our Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. The Senior Citizens Hall of Fame gives us the opportunity to thank the seniors in our communities for the contributions they have made for the betterment of our County. The accomplishments and contributions from this year’s honorees make me proud to be your County Executive.”
Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS) Commissioner Mae Carpenter said: “The Senior Hall of Fame is a highlight of the year, and we look forward to returning in-person at the Westchester Marriott as we recognize this year's honorees who have improved their communities and Westchester County through their significant contributions. The Class of 2023 honorees are individuals who make a difference each and every day through their contributions, and we thank them for all that they have done and will continue to do.”
The Senior Hall of Fame began as part of the 300th Anniversary of Westchester County’s founding to showcase how seniors have contributed to our communities. Over the past 41 years, more than 1,500 seniors have been inducted. To be nominated, seniors must have made significant and enduring contributions to enhance Westchester’s quality of life through their professional work, volunteer achievements, or both. Nominations are made from community members and a panel of judges selects the honorees.
Four seniors will receive Special Recognition this year: Dr. Ross Fishman of Hartsdale, Veronica O’Connor of Port Chester, Sinforosa (Rose) Tan Kaung of White Plains, and Patricia Vaughn of Ossining.
The 41st Annual Senior Citizens Hall of Fame Awards will be hosted by DSPS, Westchester Parks, Recreation, and Conservation, and the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.
This year’s event is sponsored by: Gold Sponsor - NewYork-Presbyterian; Silver Sponsor – United Healthcare; Bronze Sponsor – Centerlight, SCS Trust Services, Wartburg.
Awards luncheon will be held in-person at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown, NY. To purchase a ticket, sponsorship, or to congratulate an honoree with a journal ad, please visit www.westchesterpartnership.org. For additional information, please contact Amanda Seebeck at (914) 218-3968 or via email at .
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2023
Top Honors: Dr. Carol Beverly Allen, Hartsdale
Dr. Carol Beverly Allen is a retired doctor and has been an active resident of the Greenburgh community for over 30 years, with a focus on always helping others. Though she is retired, Allen has served as a physician at the Greenburgh Health Center where most clients are seniors and underserved residents. One of her most significant contributions was organizing the Greenburgh Covid Angels during the height of the pandemic, which helped more than 3,000 seniors gain access to the vaccine. Recently, Allen has headed up a Save Greenburgh committee where she has organized a large group of community members who have been trying to prevent Edgemont from incorporating through a process that would exclude over 40,000 residents from a vote on the referendum. Thanks to Allen’s efforts, she has informed seniors of this potential catastrophe and has increased their participation in the political process.
Top Honors: Janice Lubin Kirschner, Somers
Janice Lubin Kirschner has had a remarkable career spanning decades where she has connected thousands of seniors and youth with innovative generational programming. Kirschner is a visionary who has shifted community discussion and policy of many local and state politicians toward the innovative generational model, inspiring many over the years. As the Executive Director of JCY-Westchester Community Partners from 2006-2013 and the Senior Director of Family Service Society of Yonkers from 2013-2019, Kirschner has successfully initiated programs which harnessed seniors’ skills and life experiences to mentor students in public schools. Thanks to her efforts and leadership, she has created a bridge between generations while fostering a society that cherishes its elders and empowers its youth.
Special Recognition: Dr. Ross Fishman, Hartsdale
Dr. Ross Fishman is the Founder of Innovative Health Systems where he helped many people overcome the challenges of mental health and drug addiction. Innovative Health Systems now has a Buprenorphine (Suboxone) Therapy Program for individuals abusing or dependent on prescription pain medications and heroin, and also features specialized groups for adults and teens/young adults. Fishman has also served on the Greenburgh Police Community Advisory Board for over ten years, where he has helped expand community policing, increased diversity in the police department, hired the first African American Police Chief, provided young people from lower income backgrounds with the opportunity to participate in a police summer youth camp, and helped improve relations between the community and police.
Special Recognition: Veronica O’Connor, Port Chester
Veronica O’Connor is the President of the NYSUT Retiree Council of Westchester and Putnam Counties, where she has given years of skilled and dedicated service to retiree advocacy. During the pandemic years, O’Connor easily pivoted from running in-person meetings and programs to becoming an expert in virtual operations for retirees. Thanks to her leadership, O’Connor created an extensive database of the retired union members’ email addresses, created and implemented virtual programs that covered topics from exercise classes to financial planning, and made sure that their thousands of members stayed up to date on COVID rules, various eblasts, and AFT emails. With her keen understanding of the needs of those less fortunate, O’Connor is always one of the first to join in helping others. Her community service involvement includes soliciting donations and participating in the annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event, contributing to the NYSUT Disaster Relief, and volunteering for the Ronald McDonald House by helping to prepare dinner for residents and their families.
Special Recognition: Sinforosa (Rose) Tan Kaung, White Plains
Sinforosa (Rose) Tan Kaung has provided leadership at various nonprofits, community organizations and educational institutions which includes Westchester Community College, OCA Asian American Pacific Advocates Westchester & Hudson Valley Chapter, and the Greenburgh Evergreen Club. A lifetime member of the OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, Westchester and Hudson Valley Chapter, Kaung has held several positions on the Board of Directors and has been a passionate advocate for APIA rights in America. She is a recipient of the OCA National Unsung Hero Volunteer Award for consistently going beyond the call of duty and working behind the scenes to advancing the many causes and programs on behalf of the OCA and their communities. As a Board Member and Community Liaison of the Evergreen Club, Kaung helps plan, facilitate, and coordinate events and classes for seniors and helps secure funding for free classes such as Tai Chi, Chinese folk dance, and line dancing. With a teaching career that spanned over four decades, Kaung has educated thousands of students and continues to assist deserving students achieve their dream of a college education by providing scholarships.
Special Recognition: Patricia Vaughn, Ossining
Patricia Vaughn is a registered nurse for Cancer Support Team, a position she has held since 1989. In her role she educates, supports and finds resources for cancer patients and their families. Known for always “going the extra mile,” Vaughn found ways to make home visits during the pandemic, secure donations of grocery store gift cards for the food insecure, and always being available for her patients. Vaughn was instrumental in starting an Ovarian Cancer Support Group, an Anxiety and Cancer Support Group, and has plans for a survivorship group to begin in the fall. Outside of work, Vaughn is a leader with the Ossining Emergency Shelter where she coordinates meals for the homeless during the winter months and also volunteers for the Loaves and Fish soup kitchen in Ossining.
Westchester County Senior Citizens Hall of Fame – Class of 2023
Ardsley – Kirit Desai, Patricia Leone
Bedford Hills – Joanne M. Rosamond
Bronxville – Frank Lombardi
Chappaqua – Stephanie Spiegel
Cortlandt Manor – Denise Charboneau, Christopher Letts
Croton-on-Hudson – Cornelia Cotton, Carl Grimm
Dobbs Ferry – Stephen K. Hunter
Harrison – Joyce Claar, Maria Gaudelli, Stephen Harrison
Hartsdale – *** Carol Beverly Allen, Cynthia Bogen Shechter, **Dr. Ross Fishman, Gertie Long Tippitt, Martha Marzano
Hastings-on-Hudson – Christina Lomolino
Hawthorne – Stanley Majdanski
Katonah – Michael Berardino, Hans Hallundbaek
Larchmont – Ralph M. Engel
Montrose – Carl Van Dyke
Mount Kisco – Diane Langsam Bernstein, Phyllis Ruppert
Mount Vernon – Louise G. Challop, Sr. Mary Elizabeth DeBoer, Fani Miller-Beard, Willie (Saleem) Sullivan, Wayne Woodbury
New Rochelle – Eugene Babitchev, Lisa Feiner, Louise Wood
Ossining – Sister Joanna Chan, Joseph John DioGuardi, Alice Joselow, **Patricia Vaughn
Peekskill – Marsha Bailey
Port Chester – Nina Jones, **Veronica O’Connor
Rye – Ingraham Taylor
Somers – Kathryn Casella, R. John Currie, ***Janice Libin Kirschner
South Salem – Joseph M. Lemke, Linda Mead
Tarrytown – Dr. Bhagwati J. Mistry
Tuckahoe – Jennifer Vetromile
West Harrison – Thomas Acampora
White Plains – Bernice E. Burton, Sheran Lyons, Beverly McCoy, Stephanie Rossi, Michele Schoenfeld, **Sinforosa (Rose) Tan Kaung
Yonkers – Joann Mincello, Daisy Ortiz, Rev. Mary Ann Watkins
Yorktown Heights – Charles Christopher O’Neill, Cornelia Schimert
*** Top Honors
** Special Recognition